Day 20 of 40 Days of Prayer

Day 20

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your church and for the leaders you have anointed with your Holy Spirit to bring us your good news. We thank you for your Holy Spirit that guides us all and brings us your peace and comfort in a world where 'we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.' (Ephesians 6:12) 

We thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage and bless us and we pray that we would bless and encourage them as well. We ask for forgiveness of our sins, sins against you and each other; sins of complacency, doubt, and worry – instead of trusting in you God and stepping out in faith as you have taught us. 

We pray for the lost and the backslidden, that they would seek you and find you; that their hearts would return to you and put godliness above worldliness. We pray for our leaders and our nation, we pray for your church to reclaim this nation as it was originally intended – one nation under God founded on Christian principles, united together in worship to you and you alone.

We pray for the people who don’t know you and have been misled by the media and the government; that their eyes would be opened and their ears would hear the truth and not be misguided by the deception of the enemy. We pray for an awakening of hearts to you, for souls to be born again and lives to follow you and your Word. We pray for our country to continue in your favor and blessings and we pray that this election would be an election for you God, voting you back into our country and our lives. 

We pray that you would receive all the honor and glory that you are due, thank you God and thank you for your Son! In Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN!